State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic nominee for governor, is promising to send each Texas household a $1,500 check drawn from the state’s rainy day fund if she defeats Gov. Greg Abbott this November.
Hinojosa’s Plan
Hinojosa’s rebate proposal — which would require legislative approval — would draw down roughly two-thirds of the current account and leave around $10 billion in reserves. Her campaign pointed to estimates by the comptroller’s office that the fund will grow by roughly $2.5 billion to $3 billion a year.
The $1,500 one-time rebate program — which Hinojosa dubbed a “corruption tax refund” — would cost the state $17 billion, her campaign estimated. Hinojosa argued that her rebate proposal would be one of few policy ideas that a supermajority of lawmakers could get behind.
Abbott’s Response
Abbott, meanwhile, has made a sweeping property tax cut plan the centerpiece of his campaign for a fourth term. He has proposed ending school property taxes for homeowners, imposing tighter limits on how much property values can rise and making it harder for local governments to raise taxes even as their regions grow.
Recent public polling found Abbott leading Hinojosa by around 6 percentage points. The incumbent governor remains a formidable opponent, with a staggering $96 million in his campaign coffers at the end of February compared to Hinojosa’s $617,000.
Original reporting: San Antonio, TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
